Alice and Robbie got off on the way wrong foot in their first encounter. She is in Edinburgh to start a three week literary tour in Scotland, England, and Wales. Robbie, it seems, is the tour guide. Days of antagonist barbs turns to romance. All the while, Alice is finding her true self with the help of the senior tour participants and Robbie.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a charming, enjoyable, and hilarious story! The pages were filled with the romantic tension and the witty banter of the main characters. Self-discovery was another theme of this book! I couldn't stop laughing and applauding Alice as she discovered herself during the entire trip.

Kat Mackenzie’s Work in Progress is the kind of romance that quietly pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Alice and Robbie are perfectly flawed, deeply human characters who leap off the page and into your heart. Their enemies-to-lovers start is full of fiery tension and sharp exchanges, setting the stage for a relationship that evolves into something tender and profound.

Alice’s drive to rebuild her life and Robbie’s struggle to let down his guard make them both relatable and easy to root for. Their imperfections only add to the authenticity of their story, and every step they take toward each other feels hard-earned and beautifully messy.

Mackenzie’s writing shines in the way she captures not just the romance, but the personal growth and healing both characters experience along the way. The chemistry between Alice and Robbie is undeniable, and their banter—filled with wit, friction, and unspoken longing—had me hooked from start to finish.

If you love slow-burn romances with flawed but lovable leads, emotional depth, and a dash of enemies-to-lovers spice, Work in Progress is a must-read. This story is a heartfelt reminder that love, much like life, is always a work in progress.

This is a book that just begs to be made into an good movie or better yet a miniseries so that no character is left out and every bit of the adventure is included.

There are so many wonderful layers to this story that truly bridges the romance and women's fiction genres. There is such wonder s3x-ual tension between the leads in the book from their very first meeting until the end. And I love that this book is about more that a meet cute, delayed get together, riding the bus off into the sunset, the which is so over done these days. This book involves a wonderfully written single point of view story told entirely though Alice Cooper's perspective that allows you to stay voiced as a reader and really fall into Alice's thoughts and growth. .

Alice Cooper has had a rough go of it in the past few months, and is in The UK for a Bucket List Bus Tour of Literary England and Scotland to escape for a while, but in the best rom com fashion this trip turns out not to be a trip to avoid reality but a way to confront it though the misunderstandings, miscommunications, and mistakes that only a road trip can offer. This bus trip Is filled with most wonderful group of senior women who each offer something powerful in their lived experience, compassion and humor to help Alice while stealing every scene they are. If you loved The Best Exotic Marigold, Calender Girls, or When you see a movie with Maggie Smith, Judi Bench or Kathy Bates you know it will be a fabulous journey, then you will not want to miss this heartfelt and humorous romance that will have you looking to see if there is a Boducia Tournyou can book.

This is not my last book by Kat Mackenzie. Her writing is beautifully vivid, delightfully complex, and excitingingly nuanced. This is want in a grown up romance -- a journey filled with heart and human experience!

Thank you NetGalley, and Avon Books for sharing an arc of this book with me.

Work in Progress is heartwarming and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Poor Alice Cooper has THE WORST luck ever, but it made for a really entertaining read. I love the relationships that were fostered between the women in this story and how they continued on even after the trip had finished. And of course, seeing Alice go from being in a personal, professional, and emotional funk to taking steps towards being happy in her life was so satisfying. The romance in this was really sweet, I loved the banter between Alice and Robbie and their grand gesture at the end was so cute. It was pretty wild to me that she felt such strong feelings for Robbie, but then still went on multiple dates with Tristan when she got back to the United States. BUT I guess it helped her realize even when life was exactly how she had pictured it being (how she wanted it to be), it wasn't perfect for her because Tristan wasn't Robbie. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! I could totally relate to Alice and what she was going through in her life. I felt for her every time something wild or unexpected happened to her. I also enjoyed the cast of supporting characters! It was also interesting to read and learn about different historical sites in the UK.

The banter between the main characters was great, it was fun to witness them go from bickering to something a bit more. They were perfect foils for each other.

If you’ve seen my other reviews involving books in Scotland, I am OBSESSED with books in Scotland (probably because I’m obsessed with Scotland but anyways…)
This did not disappoint.

Our FMC, Alice Cooper (cue the ‘School’s Out’ childhood trauma) takes a trip to Scotland for a literary tour bus after she’s hit rock bottom in life (see fiancé leaving her, getting fired from her dream job, etc, etc). She realizes as she hops on the bus that the tour is filled with elderly ladies and a grumpy, but so so attractive, tour guide.

This book serves:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿hilarious, witty banter
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿a beautiful tour of the UK (mainly Scotland)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿wise elderly ladies laying down some straight up wisdom
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿excellent character growth for both our main characters

Sometimes a book comes along at just the right moment, and Work in Progress was exactly that for me. HUGE thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me an advanced reader copy—it was everything I didn’t know I needed and more!

Here’s the premise: a young woman facing major life changes (relatable, much?) impulsively books a three-week literary sightseeing tour in England. But instead of the expected Jane Austen-obsessed besties or swooning romantics, she finds herself in a group of women of a certain age - think Bridget Jones meets Golden Girls! And the cherry on top? The tour guide is a grumpy yet swoon-worthy Scottish man. What ensues is sheer chaos—and pure delight.

I laughed until my cheeks hurt, giggled like a schoolgirl late into the night, grinned ear to ear at the quirky, heartfelt moments, and even got misty-eyed once or twice. This slow-burn romance has some of the best banter I’ve ever read in a romance. It’s sharp, clever, and brimming with warmth -it’s everything I want in a rom-com. You will root for these characters with your whole heart.

Work in Progress is the perfect escape, filled with laugh-out-loud humor, unforgettable characters, and a love story that will leave you swooning.

First off thank you NetGalley, Kat Mackenzie, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Any book that combines book nerds, travel and romance is going to be a hit in my eyes. I loved reading about all the book themed travel spots Alice got to visit! The list and tallies she kept were amusing and gave the book a little extra touch of something different. While this book was a romance, I think the main takeaway I got from this book was the friendships she built while on her UK journey as well as her personal growth after a hard breakup and string of bad luck. All the ladies were hilarious in their own way and provided Alice with stories that helped her grow as a person and reflect on what she wanted in life. Robbie went from enemy tour guide to holiday romance in a series of hilarious incidents that made you want to laugh out loud or die of embarrassment right along with Alice.

Overall I enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what else this author writes in the future!

This book is like Chicken Soup for the Soul. My favorite aspect of this story were the old ladies, their wise stories, and the lightheartedness and silliness they gave to us readers. This was the perfect cozy read that filled my heart with warmth and made me smile the whole way through!

I would say technically 3.5 stars.

I hate that the author basically set up first 5 chapters for me to dislike Alice. Then as you get on with the tour, you got to know each of the people on the tour and their backstory and what Alice can learn from them. I will say that I really feel like I'm on that tour with the descriptions and stuff, but at times it was a bit much. I did skim thru parts of that. I do like the chemistry between Alice and Robbie, which makes up for the lulls. I can skip the ties back to Bridget Jones though, she's so much her own person with her own strong will. I love Helena that saw straight thru Alice, which leads to the grand gesture, at the end.

Thanks to Avon & Harper Voyager & NetGalley for the ARC

Alice's recent life events and trip may have started out as a (to borrow her own words) "colossal poop tornado," but this book and ensuing adventure were anything but that! I bonded with Alice right away with her love of all things UK based. And a 3 week literary women's only bus tour that goes all through the UK?! Does such a thing exist? If so, sign me up!

I enjoyed everything about this book. From the beginning of each chapter having a lesson, reading list and Bridget Jones Tally to the quirky lot of characters and their literary UK based excursions. And Kat Mackenzie's writing? Remarkable! I was consistently highlighting phrases that I loved.

The enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites; Alice and Robbie played it to perfection. Their witty dialogue and retorts and Alice's inner monologue had me constantly chuckling. Her nicknames to him that ranged from Voldemort to Beelzebub to Mr. Mussolini had me LOLing 😂 And though there weren't any super explicit scenes, the steamy bits in this book were absolute 🔥 🥵 (and I'm telling you once again it's due to Kat's incredible writing skills!) I've never rooted harder for such an angsty but fun pair of characters. Robbie is just 🥰 I know I'm always a goner for an Irishman or a Scot so my fate was probably already sealed from page 1 right along with Alice's.

I need to add in just how much I absolutely adored all the ladies on this trip. Everyone brought something to the table, and they were all such wonderfully written characters. Alice at one point compared being with them to being "wrapped up in a big cozy British blanket with good advice." To which Helena responded, "Well, between us we've got about 500 years of experience." That certainly sums it up well. ❣️

🔸 I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.🔸
🔹 Thank you to Net Galley, Avon and Harper Voyage, and Kat Mackenzie for this eARC.🔹
🎉 Publication date: January 14, 2025.

I absolutely loved this book! I read a lot and I love a lot of books but not like I loved this one. It is hilarious at times and poignant at others. Alice was dumped by her fiancé and spiraled into depression. In attempt to feel better, she books a literary bus tour. She didn't expect to lose her luggage, find it only to be flattened, fall down in front of everyone and for the fellow participants to be all older women. She particularly didn't appreciate the snarky Scottish tour guide, at first. The story involves learning from the history of the lives of the other women and the history of the authors studied. While it is definitely has humor, this book is much deeper and more meaningful that first glance might show. I'm grateful for Net Galley and the opportunity to to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

2 "Not my cup of tea" stars

While the author does a marvellous job of immersion the reader in magical Scotland, I found it hard to get aboard the romance and to liking the main characters.

The "meet cute" was more of a "meet ugly", and unfortunately, the characters were akin to immature and petulant toddlers.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

A fun read, but definitely not perfect. I loved the literary references and the descriptions of all the places that they stopped at on their tour. The descriptions of Skye, in particular, brought me back vividly to the few days I spent there several weeks back. It was quite humorous, though at times to the point of absurdity (to its detriment; there are only so many mishaps that can happen to our protagonist before it starts to get old.)

There was a plot thread woven through the book about finding yourself and happiness, and a few lovely moments of insight, which I appreciated. But at a certain point, the sage, octogenarian wisdom started to feel a bit formulaic.

I enjoyed the romance's banter and chemistry, but wasn't completely sold on it. There was a whole chunk of the book that could have been used to build the romantic connection that was instead wasted because of one assumption made by Alice. I usually don't mind a little bit of miscommunication in books (lost letters in HR, things of that nature) but the miscommunication in this book was absolutely off the charts, like one question to at least 3 different characters could have easily solved all of it.

And maybe it's just personal preference, but I was not a fan of our protagonist kissing a man other than the love interest nearly halfway through the book (part of aforementioned wasted chunk).

This book read easily and had great potential, but man that main heroine was hard. I really struggled with so much extra description on top of her horrible attitude. I liked him, for the most part and loved the other vacationers. But this one just didn't land.

This was a sweet, cozy romance that was perfect to settle in and read during the winter months. Alice and Robbie had great chemistry, and I enjoyed the second-chance romance feel. Not to mention, one can't go wrong with a literary bus tour of the Scottish Highlands! Scotland is one of my favorite romance settings.

3.5 Stars

There's nothing I love more than a cozy romance to sweep you away during the cold winter months and this story did just that. I loved the English and Scottish scenery and the interesting tidbits sprinkled along the way.

The chemistry and tension between Alice and Robbie was top notch and I lived for their banter. If you're looking for a sweet romance about self discovery, healing, and a second chance at love, with just a pinch of spice, you won't want to miss Work in Progress.

Alice Cooper (yes, that’s her name) was cheated on by her fiance and fired from her job so she books a last minute trip across the pond and takes literary bus tour through the UK. With the help of some old biddies and the handsome Scottish tour guide, Alice learns to live a little and get through her premature midlife crisis. I think the bones of this were good but it lacked depth and was a little too long. But I do love anything with a road-trip through the countryside and the zingers between Alice and Robbie were great.

★★★★☆
Work in Progress (Kat Mackenzie - releasing 01.14.2025)
e-ARC Review - DEBUT

✧ Read with me ✧ Instagram ✧| @haileydianereads

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Avon/HarperCollins publishers & Kat Mackenzie (debuting her first novel) for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest book review! 🥰🙌

“We cannot captain our hearts. Quite the contrary is true, I’d say.” ❤️‍💯

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy…
All things UK
British Literature
Travel adventures
Enemies-to-Lovers Trope
Heavy Banter

I love when a debut author hits it out of the park! Kat Mackenzie is one to watch. As a self-proclaimed Britophile, this book was such an immersive read. I’ll get to all the good stuff below, but trust me when I say, I felt like I was on that three-week long literature tour and now I’m dying to find one to book for myself. Mackenzie is a talented writer and her bookish knowledge shines in this story. Don’t judge this book by its beautiful cover. This novel is much more than kilts and castles. This is a tale of stepping into the wreckage of one’s life and deciding that not all of our plans happen as we expect, but, through the growing pain, we really discover a life beyond what we imagine.

RATING SYSTEM: I rate my books by 5 literary element groupings: plot and pacing, characters and development, setting and world building, dialogue and writing style. See below for a full review:

📖Plot and Pacing
I knew I was going to love this book from the beginning when absolutely everything in Alice’s, our FMC, life is falling apart. Alice is really going through it and at the beginning of the book, readers don’t really know how bad things have been for her. Queue one disaster after the next and here we find our MMC, Robbie, adding to the growing heap of trouble. To be fair, neither character was really getting to see the other in their best form. Welcome to day-to-day reality for many of us. The pacing felt natural. When I began reading this book, I was a bit worried since the majority of the book takes place over three weeks and the days are descriptive due to the plot itself. However, I was so engaged with the characters and the ongoing quips that even the most itinerary-packed days felt manageable. Honestly, I want this itinerary for future trips to the UK - long days and all! From start to finish, I never found myself bored by this book.

🧞‍♀️Characters and Development
This book is heavily focused on Alice, a thirty year old, and her unexpected female friendship with women all 65 and older. While romance is definitely a driving plot in this book, readers should expect to walk away from this read with a deep appreciation for the wisdom that others bring to our lives. Alice’s development throughout the book focuses on picking up the pieces to her life. Pieces that she had organized and really worked towards. Personally, this type A personality is similar to my own, so I get the need for organizing life achievements into boxes and constantly measuring my own “success” in life. As she experiences this tour of the UK with these women from different backgrounds, you can really see her start to take stock of her own decisions to the challenges that face her back home (and they are many). I want to make sure I mention that I would HAPPILY befriend all of the women on this tour of the UK. Berrta, pack an extra set of binoculars for me! Read more about my love for Helena in the BONUS section of my review.

🌇Setting and World Building
I will NEVER turn down a trip, even a fictional one, to the UK. Say what you will about tropical beaches, but nothing beats the UK countryside for me. As someone who has been to multiple locations mentioned in the book, I can attest to the fact that Mackenzie does a first-class job describing the locations to readers. If you’ve never been to the UK, you’ll have a good sense of things after reading this novel. I’m headed to Scotland in four months and this book has me ready to pack my bags TODAY!

🗣️Dialogue
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, good romance novels need quality banter for me to really enjoy them. Thank my husband for this requirement. After 12 years together, I don’t feel the chemistry between characters without some really strong driving dialogue. I love that Robbie does not back down with Alice. Does he fear her? Maybe - a little. However, Mackenzie did not stop there. The dialogue between all of the characters had me cackling OUT LOUD. Dear Flossie and Doris were just the right amount of “too much.” Not only were the conversations engaging, but Mackenzie managed to give all nine characters real depth from dialogue alone.

📝Writing Style
Mackenzie writes in a past tense narrative style that really feels full-circle by the end of the book. For a novel that focuses on the wisdom of women and the adventures that life can bring, I feel like Mackenzie wanted Alice to have her own moment of wisdom by sharing the story with the reader. Since this is Mackenzie’s debut novel, I’m excited to see what comes next for her and her writing styles in upcoming novels. The added “lessons”, “reading list” and running “Bridget Jones talley” were a fun addition to the main story.

❉BONUS❉: Emotional Connection
Although not a specific criteria for my book ratings, I’m always hoping for an emotional connection to the book. Kat Mackenzie DELIVERED for me with her story of intergenerational friendships. For those who know me personally, one of my absolute dearest friends was 40+ years older than me. At times, I fought back tears as I felt a true connection to Helena and her friendship with Alice. I found myself wanting to hug Helena myself and hear her call me “petal.”

😤The Flaws
The only real flaws I had with this book were word choices for the FMC. Alice is an American who has never traveled abroad. However, she has quite an extensive international vocabulary. Honestly, I think that this stems from Mackenzie herself being an American who has lived in the UK for the last 10 years and attended both the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford. At the beginning, there was definitely more slang peppered into the thirty-year-old’s vocabulary, but as the book progressed, I found that she had quite the expanded vernacular. Readers could chalk this up to Alice attending Yale or her grandmother being British, but some of the idioms and phrases were definitely an interesting choice for an American who has never been abroad. Overall, it didn’t impact the story too much for me.
The only other item of note is that Robbie seems to have zero flaws. Seriously, the man is perfect. I needed a little more for Robbie to feel real to me. However, since the story wasn’t solely focused on their romance, it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Hopefully, Mackenzie’s future novels showcase the shortcomings of more characters.

Gratitude, always.
- H.